Bills Beat Blog

By Joe Buscaglia

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How a veteran approaches training camp

by Joe Buscaglia,posted Jul 27 2012 1:32PM

When you're a player in the NFL in your first, second or third training camp, there are still some obvious things to learn about yourself as a player. For many of those players, they are still working on coming in to their own as a professional football player and camp can help in that capacity.

But when you're a veteran in the league, much like Buffalo Bills linebacker Nick Barnett, you approach it in your own unique way to maximize it's usefulness.

Barnett, now in his 10th training camp in the NFL, knows exactly what he needs to do when he checks in for training camp.

"I think the thing I do in camp is to learn things. Being blessed to be able to play this game a long time and knowing that you're counted on to be on the field, you don't stress yourself out about just making the team, you stress yourself out about beating your first opponent in the regular season game. So I think I work on things that I may see against the Jets and those teams like that.

"I'm trying to get focused and honed in on the fundamentals of the game -- the man techniques, making the calls, being a leader and being able to communicate to guys and leading by example. When you build yourself as a leader is through camp, because guys are there the most. That's when you come together as a family."

Barnett will be heavily depended on this season as an outside linebacker in Dave Wannstedt's 4-3 defense, reprising a role he once had in Green Bay before the team switched to a 3-4.